Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2026

The Veteran meets the criteria for a TDIU and DEA eligibility on and after February 7, 2022.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's heart condition and acquired psychological disorder are not service-connected. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for Total Disability Rating due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is denied as the effective date cannot be earlier than October 5, 2017 because there was no established entitlement within one year prior to that date.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, stable angina, and myocardial infarction has precluded all substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him during the entire period on appeal. The Board granted a TDIU due to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected heart disability has prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment due to his education and occupational history. TDIU is granted effective August 23, 2022.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for heart disease, hypothyroidism, OSA, diverticulitis, and GERD was denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or other risk factors that could support a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to address his claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, heart condition, liver condition, kidney condition, lung condition, sinusitis, rhinitis, peripheral neuropathy of the hands and feet. The examinations will assess whether these conditions are related to service or other factors.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that the current condition is related to cardiovascular symptoms during active duty.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and heart condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are presumed related to noise exposure in service for hearing loss and presumed herbicide exposure for a heart condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease are granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and coronary artery disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder, with obesity serving as an intermediary step.

The Veteran's claims for TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate prior to December 6, 2018 were denied due to insufficient evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation solely as a result of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability and a psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence did not support an in-service onset or relationship to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not considered a disability for VA purposes.,There is no current evidence of vertigo, genitourinary condition (claimed as urinary frequency), or bilateral lower extremity nerve condition related to service. The heart condition is currently diagnosed but the connection to service is denied.,Service connection for all conditions is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tremors, respiratory disorder, and heart disorder are granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of these conditions and credible evidence linking them to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents. However, there is no medical opinion supporting a direct link between the Veteran's diagnosed conditions and his military service.

The Veteran is granted TDIU based on service-connected atherosclerotic heart disease from February 25, 2022 to August 2, 2022 and from September 1, 2025 onward.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability prior to August 21, 2023.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and unclear TERA participation. The Veteran's STRs were destroyed in a fire, and his SPRs have not been obtained. The AOJ must attempt to obtain these records and clarify the nature of the Veteran's TERA participation.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his military service in the Philippines.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his military service in the Philippines.